Capoeira: The History of an Afro-Brazilian Martial Art

Potthast (University of Köln) and Dr David Treece (King’s College, London) kindly agreed to act as
referees for my research applications. Jonathan Manley from Frank Cass and Allison Scott from Routledge
always took the time to answer my queries. Pol Briand’s e-mails from Paris about capoeira history were
each time enlightening. In Bahia, Carlinhos Pita, Geraldo da Costa Leal, and Ana Ramos helped me in
different ways. Maísa Paranhos, Carolina Paranhos, Lourdes Figueiredo and Iolando Assunção received me
in their respective homes. Zé Geraldo Portugal and Vera Tess in São Paulo and Catherine Grandy in Rio not
only provided hospitality but also sent me capoeira books as soon as they were published in Brazil. The
Lucenas—Claudia, Henrique and family—always offered me the shelter of their home. And Luzmira Zerpa
and Manaira Assunção provided inspiration for many years of this project.
Finally I would like to thank three friends, who—each in their own way—have shared their passion for
capoeira and its history with me. Sharing materials is by no means natural in the capoeira universe. On the
contrary, there is a curious ‘tradition’ whereby sources are kept hidden from others, in the somewhat
mistaken view that keeping them secret increases the holder’s power or prestige. Yet Frede Abreu, M.Luis
Renato Vieira and M.Cobra Mansa have taught me that another form of behaviour is possible, by always
offering fresh insights and new materials. If this book has some merits, it is certainly due to their way of
departing from secret established mongering and engaging in true dialogue with others fascinated by the
history of our art. I highly appreciated our exchange of ideas over the last years, which reminds me, at
another level, of the dialogue that constitutes the true game in a capoeira roda.
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